by entrancedbymyGCC » Mon Jun 20, 2011 8:58 pm
I think NZJesse is absolutely right about permits for private ownership. On the other hand, having permits and regulations applied to wild animal exhibitions seems like a perfectly good idea. I guess I always assumed you did require permits and that there was some animal-cruelty oversight for that.
One thing to take into account, however, is that in some situations where birds are exhibited, they aren't on display all the time, and they have more ample "permanent" quarters. I've seen birds that come out on Tstands in hotels for a couple of hours in the AM and a couple more in the PM, but it isn't their permanent home.
As much as I might want to see all birds have the exact same care I provide mine with, I am not in favor of trying to legislate that. Outright cruelty is one thing and is fairly easy to define. Beyond that you tend, IMO, to wind up penalizing the folks with good intentions while not doing much to stop the folks who are deliberately cutting corners or being abusive.
Scooter

Death Valley Scotty
